Defeat and Destruction
by HaleyRiler
Summary: A scenario in which Dib "wins" and Zim experiences his worst nightmare after years of failing to conquer the Earth.
1. Defeat and Destruction

**Defeat and Destruction**

The first thing that stirred my consciousness was the cold prickling at my skin. Even normally protected areas seemed oddly cool. I shivered slightly, attempting to move my arms closer to my chest. That's when the real chill set in.

My arms wouldn't move.

In an instant my eyes were open and scanning the room in panicked fervor. A scream threatened to spill over my terrified lips but I quickly stifled it. Invaders shouldn't panic in the face of the enemy.

I forced myself to form a snarl instead, locking eyes with the source of my current predicament: Dib. Even this was strained, however, as panic surged up in my chest once more in response to the plethora of instruments situated directly to my right. A camera even watched from behind Dib's enormous head.

"What is this Dib-beast?! I o-order you t-to release me at once!" I forced, my commanding tone cracking just slightly as he stepped forward to better look me over.

I followed his gaze now as it moved from my eyes, across my bare torso, and down to my feet before moving back to meet my troubled stare. My words barely seemed to register, however, as he ignored me, moving on to the tray of instruments to my right.

My throat went dry and I swallowed down what felt like a painful lump.

"I SAID: REALEASE ME!" I shouted, tearing at the restraints binding my limbs, attempting garner his attention and pull him away from the instruments he seemed so intent on examining.

He turned to look at me for a moment, placing an index finger to his lips as if he were thinking it over.

"Hmmm… no." He finally said, smirking in a way that asked if I had really expected a different answer.

I once again began concentrating on the restraints, attempting to force them free with the limbs in my PAK only to find my PAK encased in the metal of the operating table.

My bravado began to slip and, much to my disgust, I whimpered slightly when the restraints refused to budge and the sound of latex gloves snapping tight against Dib's wrists filled the air.

"A-Alright Dib-stink. You've caught me in a g-good mood today. Release me right now and I-I'll refrain from destroying this pathetic planet for t-two weeks! That should give you plenty of time to put up some sort of meager defense. I might even tell you what I'm planning in advance." I offered, my courage returning slightly as Dib would surely back out if given the proper motivation.

What I got instead was a deadpan look from Dib that seemed to tell me exactly what he thought of my offer. Rather than even acknowledge what I'd said Dib brought out a tape recorder and switched it on.

"Dib Membrane beginning examination of alien subject Zim. 5:56 P.M. Tuesday March 13th, 2018…"

My eyes widened, sweat trickling down the base of my antennae and the side of my head.

"Dib-beast, I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement… Surely, this charade has gone on long enough? I'll admit you've bested me this time around. Now let me go and we can go back to our usual rivalry tomorrow." I implore, fixedly watching as he places the tape recorder beside the tray of instruments and moves to select a marker.

I struggle at my restraints again, willing my PAK legs to expand far enough to melt through the metal with their lasers. The seal around my PAK is too tight, however. It is obvious that Dib studied the dimensions carefully to ensure a perfect fit.

Dib uncaps the marker and begins patiently dotting my abdomen. The black stands in stark contrast with my pale green skin. I feel nauseas.

Sweat shines on my forehead now and I look away, scanning the dark windows lining the room for anyone else who might be persuaded to help me. When I find myself unable to see anyone I turn once again to Dib, deciding to try intimidation once again.

"Let me go NOW or you WILL suffer. The Tallest won't take kindly to what you've done. If you stop now I might just omit this from my report."

At this Dib stops for a moment and switches off the tape recorder.

"Don't you remember how you got here?" He asks, seeming confused.

My face pales as I struggle to remember what I'd thought was a dream. It couldn't have been a dream though. Irkens don't sleep. Not unless they're heavily injured anyway. Even when this occurs they're simply sedated into unconsciousness by their PAKs. They shouldn't dream. Why would I think that it had been then? It must have been the absurdity of it all.

I remember something about a transmission with The Tallest. I'd been reporting on his latest plan to conquer the pathetic Earth when Tallest Purple said something. I couldn't remember exactly what it was but I remember it was something rather absurd. Something that had to be a joke and a cruel one at that. Tallest Red had looked at Purple as if he'd said something brilliant, however. Tallest Red then said the same thing that Purple had. It seemed that they'd given me an order but it must have been one of the more difficult ones because, after the transmission had been cut, I simply stood there for what seemed like a long time before looking ardently at my disguise.

I'd then asked the computer to do something and stepped into the backyard… without my disguise. Why had I done that? I never do that.

I thought harder and Dib must have seen the frustration on my face because he began to elaborate.

"I watched the little conversation you had with you leaders. They ordered you to go blow up your base and wait outside without your disguise. They had to know what they were telling you to do. YOU had to know what they were telling you to do. You did it anyway though. The explosion was huge. I saw it from my house two blocks away. It must have knocked you out because you were still there when I rushed over."

I attempted to say something but words seemed to elude me.

"After all you've done for them... even if you've failed over and over… I couldn't help but feel a little bad for you Zim. I almost couldn't bring myself to do this to you. But then I thought… if you're THAT loyal, how loyal are the other Irkens that they will no doubt send to replace you? And what are the chances that they'll be just as incompetent? Sorry, Zim. If doing this will help the human race against the armada I can't afford to pity you. Even if you have done horrible things I can at least say I no longer hate you though. I hope that's enough of an apology for what I'm about to do. Even if it isn't… you aren't getting anything more." He explained, eyeing me for another long moment before finally switching the device back on and selecting a scalpel from the tray of instruments.

This shook me out of my stupor and I screamed. I didn't care anymore. Panic tore through me and I let it take control. My chest heaved up and down as Dib grew closer.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed, tugging at my restraints with as much vigor as I could muster.

My wrists were already slick with blood but I continued to struggle. There was no way I was going down like this. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening!

The moment the cool metal touched my sternum, however, I knew it was real.

A scream louder than anything I'd ever uttered ripped through my throat as the scalpel ripped through my flesh, running the length of my abdomen and across my hips. Pink blood bubbled up and ran like molten Pepto Bismol down my sides but Dib was quick to wipe it away, already moving for the next tool in his arsenal of torture devices.

I was hardly in the state of mind to take note of what exactly it was he'd grabbed, however. The only thing that clued me into the fact that he'd grabbed a pair of forceps was the excruciating pain that left me puking everything I'd eaten that day up, onto the table, and down onto his shoes.

He paused to grimace and look down at his shoes. I took the opportunity to catch my breath, nearly heaving again as I saw my squeedlyspooch writhing just below my exposed rib cage.

"Please!" I breathed, as Dib turned once more to retrieve what looked like a pair of hedge trimmers.

My PAK was sending pain killers into my system. I could feel them working, trying to put me to sleep. Knowing that giving in to such a temptation would mean never waking up again, however, I refused. I had to convince him to stop! Even my PAK wouldn't be able to save me should Dib decide to remove something.

"Stop!" I tried again, finding it hard to force enough air out to voice the word.

A snapping sounded in place of a response as the tool made short work of my ribcage. My head swam. Even with the painkillers in my system I was in hell.

With my ribs out of the way Dib finally reached a hand inside my abdomen, looking me in the eyes one last time before pulling my spooch into the light and cutting the connective tissue.

I could see tears in the human's eyes and felt tears of my own rolling unrestrained from my own. My body bucked at the sudden lack of oxygen, my heart still pounding in vain against what used to be my ribcage. Pink blood filled the cavity where my spooch had just been and black spots spotted my vision.

This was it. The mission was over. Dib had won…


	2. Reckoning and Reincarnation

Author's Note: It's been requested that I write an epilogue to Defeat and Destruction regarding Dib and how he deals with the aftermath. Thank you again to everyone who has read and reviewed this and any of my other works. It means a lot! I personally just wrote this because I've been feeling kind disappointed in my recent attempts to write the next chapter of I Am Zim and wanted to write something with more emotion involved. I never expected that anyone would ask for more. I am more than happy to oblige though!

Reckoning and Reincarnation

My throat was raw. I'd long since run out of food to throw up but my body still wanted to try. Honestly, I'd never thought that this day would actually come. Zim was gone. I'd saved… who had I saved?

The armada would still no doubt come or they'd at least send someone else to take over in Zim's stead… if they actually cared about Earth at all. I'd often wondered what their interest would be in a planet covered in something as toxic to them as water. Surely they wouldn't just let Earth be, knowing that humans had killed one of their own and now understood the strengths and weaknesses of their anatomy.

In all honesty Earth might have been safer if he'd just left Zim be. He could have harbored him in his room. It wasn't as if Gaz didn't know he was an alien. Did humanity really NEED to know if Zim no longer presented a threat?

Of course they did. Even if Zim weren't dead that didn't mean that the armada wouldn't come necessarily. They'd probably just shoot him themselves when they arrived.

I wretched once more before pulling the lever on the toilet, deciding to remain there with my cheek pressed to the cool porcelain.

What had he done to deserve that kind of order? His leaders had seemed… amused… even when giving it. It was as if he were just some big joke to them; no more important than an ant and they were the kids with the magnifying glasses. No… that wasn't right… they'd set things in motion but he'd been the one to raise that lens.

Would Zim have turned against his leaders after such a betrayal? Would he have given us information that would have been just as vital to the human race? Would he have fought to save Earth alongside me? Sure, Zim was incompetent on his own but if I were to stand beside him?

Those questions meant nothing now. Zim was dead. The only parts left of him were currently being examined under a microscope or stored in the science division where my father was beginning his examination of Zim's PAK.

Slowly, I stood up, legs shaking but steadier than they had been before. As far as I knew my father had never really taken much of an interest in biology and therefore had never experienced this sort of thing. Really, no one had ever experienced this kind of thing… but I feel compelled to at least try to see him. He never was a very comforting person but I didn't really have anyone else. Gaz wasn't exactly a comforting person either.

Ironically Zim would be the one I would normally turn to in this kind of situation. Even if we were mortal enemies he'd at least hear me out for the most part… even if he'd insult me at every turn. He certainly had a wealth of experience with this kind of thing as well. At one point he'd even said something about being a scientist before becoming an invader.

I washed my mouth off in the sink. My skin, normally pasty, took on a kind of deathly pallor now. I looked old for 18. I shrugged it off and began heading for the science division. Dad would cheer me up.

On my way to the lab I couldn't help but hear hushed voices whispering this and that.

"Did you hear he actually went to skool with that thing?"

"Why didn't he say something?"

"I heard he pulled its guts out right after dinner. Didn't even flinch."

"Freak."

"Freak."

"Freak."

I covered my ears, ducking into a nearby hallway to catch my breath. I'd thought that this would stop. High Skool was over. I'd proved alien existence! I'd proved that I wasn't crazy! And yet…

I paused a moment. Maybe I should have let Zim win. Finding another planet with intelligent life couldn't be THAT difficult if the Irken Empire had created a profession out of invading planets. Surely there had to be SOME intelligent life out there.

I shook my head again and nearly bumped into my father as he juggled what had to be about three different reports and a cup of coffee.

"Well, hello there son! Big day I hear! Turns out that little green friend of yours actually WAS an alien. I'll have to run some statistical programs on this kind of event. I had thought the odds to be infinitesimal and therefore unrealistic. But… everyone makes mistakes I suppose. Even if they are minor…"

I cut him off.

"Have you ever felt like you've made a big mistake? Something that can't be undone?"

"Nonsense son! Anything is possible with science! Although some laws may get in the way…" he grumbled.

"So you could… theoretically… bring the dead back to life? And… not as zombies?" I asked, wanting to be sure he understood that I wasn't about to try to raise the living dead again.

"Hmm… unethical but certainly possible. The real problem would be that everyone would want to bring everyone back. Resources are finite son. Remember that."

"Do you have something that I could try that with?"

"Hmm… not at the moment. Perhaps I could schedule you in next February and we could discuss this in more depth. That device that your green friend had would be the closest thing that I've seen thus far. It seems as though memories, feelings, and the like are stored on it. All that's needed to bring that thing back to life is a living host. Unfortunately I can't get any of the interns to try it on. Cowards. I've even modified it to be compatible with human anatomy. Anyway… It was nice to see you son. I should be home next Sunday for approximately 40 minutes. Please tell Gaz to expect me. I believe it's your turn to pick dinner."

"Thanks dad. I will." I mumbled distractedly, "Uh… dad?"

"Yes son?"

"I'd uh… like to examine that… device. For research." I add, sweating a little.

"Sure, son. Here you go." He said tossing an ID badge in my direction as he headed for the other side of the building, "Good luck!"

I stand there for a moment, watching my father's back disappear down the corridor and around another corner. I then turn my attention to the badge in my hand. I could just turn around, walk outside, and hope that years of therapy will somehow help me come to terms with things. Or…

I look at the badge again. Zim's pleading sounds in my ears.

Before I know it I'm passing through the science division. This time I don't even hear the whispers around me.

Surprisingly the room housing the PAK is empty. Considering the fact that my father had tried to force it on interns I can imagine their desire to avoid the place, however.

I stare through the glass enclosure at the device for a moment. A faint electric hum still emanates from it and I wonder briefly how it's powered.

Without thinking I tap my badge against the enclosure, unlocking it.

In an instant it attempts to latch onto me and I begin to question what my actual plan had been. I'd known how this thing reacted the last time it attached to me. Why did I think it would just lie there and let me examine it?

"Or maybe that wasn't your plan…" Something inside me whispers, "You wanted this."

I struggle briefly against the PAK, forcing it away from my chest. This only prompts it to reach over my shoulder and latch onto my back, however.

A life that isn't mine suddenly begins forcing its way to the forefront of my mind. The terror, the pain, the disgust, the hopelessness… the **ANGER**.

I could feel my hands around my throat and yet they seemed not to be mine at all. These were _Zim's_ hands. I tried to scream but found myself unable to do so.

"I WILL kill you. Before I do that though… I would like to make a call." Zim's voice rang in my mind, a communication device springing from the back of the PAK.

The hands then release my throat and neatly tuck themselves behind my back.

"Good morning my Tallest…"


End file.
